Q: My boyfriend’s cottage has the sweetest vintage stove I’ve ever seen. The only problem is that the oven is limited to two settings: high and off. The only way to regulate the temperature is by opening the door until the oven cools down, and then closing it until it gets too hot again.

Q: My husband and I are planning a kitchen remodel and we're debating the merits of a warming drawer. We love to entertain, but are wondering if the double wall ovens we've already decided on will be sufficient for our needs. Any advice or thoughts are appreciated!

Read on to see how we navigated the overwhelming process of buying appliances, and to see what we picked out. I'll talk about how buying a range top can actually save you money, as well as our one amazing Craigslist find!

Last week I attended the 2013 Architectural Digest Home Design Show, which is a small trade show featuring a carefully curated selection of home and kitchen brands. It's a fun show to go to for that reason, since you know you'll only see the best of the best. Here are 5 brands that caught my eye:

Q: I have an old dirty oven, but I don't like using harsh cleaning products and I don't feel like scrubbing on my knees all weekend! Can an oven without a self-cleaning function still clean itself, maybe by leaving it on 500 degrees for a day? Any advice would be appreciated!

Q: I recently moved into a new place with a convection oven. I've never cooked with this kind of oven before and have no idea when or how to use it. Do you have any tips for using a convection oven and how to adjust recipes?

Q: My husband and I purchased a new gas range as part of our kitchen renovation and the oven has been a nightmare. The stainless steel panels generate so much heat from the oven vents that they're practically scalding. Is this a normal occurrence with stainless ovens, or did I just pick the wrong model?

This past week marked a special moment in my life. After living with an extra-small oven for years, pushing it hard — using it to test an entire book about casseroles, with pans that barely fit into its little cavity — I'm now the proud owner of a 30-inch double oven. I lucked out and found the exact oven I desired (and couldn't afford at full price) for a fraction of its list price on Craigslist, barely used and with a 3-year warranty remaining. I can hardly wait to fire it up — cakes, ribs, casseroles, oven-cooked beans — this thing will handle them all. I'll tell you one thing I'm not going to be doing with this oven, though, and that's using the self-cleaning cycle. Why?